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Authorities sue the Trump administration for “hostile takeover” of the Police in Washington
Washington.- District of Columbia Attorney General, Brian Schwalb, sued this Friday the Administration of U.S. President, Donald Trump, for what he considers a “hostile takeover” of the Washington D.C Police as part of the Republican’s campaign against street crime.
Schwalb’s actions come hours after U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi – appointed by Trump to oversee the federal takeover of the Washington D.C. Police – signed an order to appoint the director of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Terry Cole, as emergency commissioner of the capital’s police forces.
“By declaring a hostile takeover of the Washington D.C. Police Department, the Administration is abusing its limited and temporary authority under the Home Rule Act, infringing on the District’s right to self-governance and endangering the safety of Washington D.C. residents and visitors,” Schwalb said in a statement.
According to the D.C. Attorney General, “this is the most serious threat to autonomy the District has ever faced, and we are fighting to stop it.”
In his lawsuit, Schwalb asks a federal judge to declare unconstitutional and block the actions of Trump and Bondi, which, he claims, exceed the limits of the Home Rule Act, the law governing Washington’s autonomy since 1973.
With this, the city’s attorney general seeks that the city’s mayor, Muriel Bowser, and the police chief, Pamela Smith, retain control of law enforcement.
For his part, Bowser joined Schwalb to reject Cole’s appointment as “illegal.” Both suggested they would not comply with Bondi’s order.
Trump declared a “Public Safety Emergency” and took control of the Washington D.C. Police on Monday, when he also announced the activation of some 800 National Guard troops as part of his efforts to “restore public order”, based on a clause in the Home Rule Act.
According to the president, these actions are necessary due to the “wave of crime” plaguing the city, claims rejected by local authorities, who warn that according to current figures, crime has actually decreased since the 2023 peak.
The president had already appointed Cole on Monday to take charge of the Metropolitan Police Department.
On Wednesday, Trump said he will seek to extend federal control over law enforcement in the capital after considering that the 30 days stipulated in the law “are not enough” to “combat crime”. E
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